Key for stringed instruments.



PATBNTED MAR. 13, 1906. A. A. FARLAND. KEY FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25. 1905.

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ALFRED ADOLPHUS FARLAND, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

I KEY FOR STRINGED, INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 13, 1906.

Application filed July 25, 1905. Serial No. 271,134.

1'0 all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED ADoLPI-IUs FARLAND, a citizen of Canada, residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Keys for Stringed. Instruments, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved key for stringed instruments such as the banjo, violin, guitar, and other instruments of this classwhich will hold the strings at any required tension without slipping or turning under such tension, a further object being to provide an improved key of the class specified which is particularly adapted for use in connection with a banjo, but which may be used in connection with any stringed instrument; and with these and other objects in view the invention consists in a key of the class specified constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a front or face view of a part of the neck of a banjo provided with my improved ke Fig. 2, a partial section on the inc 2 2 0 Fig. 1 and showing a modified form of my improved key; Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 Fig. 4, a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings forming part of this specification I have shown at a a part of the neck of a banjo, which is provided with the usual head ai and in the practice of my invention, as shown in Fig. 2, I provide a key 6, com prising a head I), having a shank portion b The shank 1) extends through the head a of the banjo-neck, and the rojecting end portion thereof is preferably reduced in size and provided in the construction shown with a left thread, while that part of the shank adjacent to the reduced portion 5 is provided with a right thread, as shown at If. The shank b is of less diameter than the bore a, in the head a of the neck a, and mounted thereon is a threaded sleeve 0, the end 0 of which is formed into a nut, as shown in Fig. 4, and mounted on the projecting thread ed portion 1) of the shank b is a drum d, having a head (1 and with which in practice the string is connected in the usual manner.

Between the shank b and the head I) of the key I) is a handle member I), and between said part and the bottom of the head, a is placed a socketed washer 6, while between the head-nut c of the sleeve 0 and the top of the head a is placed a similar washer c and it will be observed that by turning the sleeve 0 the key will be drawn tightly into the head a and securely held therein, while the string drum (Z bears on the head-nut c of the sleeve 0 and operates as a locknut, and in this way the key is securely held in the head a and by manipulating the sleeve c and the drum (Z, which constitutes a lock-nut, the key may be held in any desired position, while at the force to the head If thereof said key may be turned so as to adjust the tension of the string. It will be understood that in. practice both of the keys on. the right-hand side of the head a in Fig. 1 are made in the manner shown in Fig. 2, while in the case of the keys 011 the left-hand side of said head the threads on the shank b and part 12 thereof are reversed, the thread on the shank I) being a left thread, while the thread on the part b of said shank is a right thread.

In the constructionshown in Fig. 3 I provide a key 9, comprising a head 9 provided with a shank member g and the shank member g is placed in the neck a of the instrument, and a part thereof projects therefrom, as shown at 9 That part of the shank g next to the projecting portion 9 is provided in the form of construction shown with a left thread 9 while the projecting portion g is preferably reduced in size and provided with a right thread 9, and the shank g opposite the head g of the key is provided with a head g and a bushing 72., while the opposite end of the shank g is provided with a sleeve-nut t, which is screwed against the bushing h and prevents the key from turning under the tension of the string. In this form of construction the head 9 of the key is provided with a drum member 9 with which in practice the same time by applying a requisite amount of string is connected, and said head g and the drum member 9 are screwed onto the pro jecting portion 9 of the shank g and serve as a lock-nut to prevent the movement of the nut i, and the part g is provided with a transverse hole or opening to facilitate the connection of the string therewith.

The head (1 of the drum (1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is provided with a transverse slot or groove (Z which facilitates the connection of the string therewith, and in both forms of construction it will be observed that the key comprises a shank member having a projecting end portion, said shank and said end portion being provided with reverse threads and said shank being provided with a nut and the projecting portion with a lock-nut.

In Fig. 2 the locknut consists of the string-- drum 1, while in Fig. 3 it consists of the head g of the key and the string-drum g which are formed integrally.

In Fig. 3 the bushing h is locked against rotation by a key 71 or in any other desired manner, and the operation with both forms of construction will be substantially the same.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A string-key for stringed musical instruments, said key comprising a shank member having a projecting end portion, said shank member and said end portion being provided with reverse threads, a nut mounted on the shank portion and a lock-nut mounted on the projecting end portion, substantially as shown and described.

2. A string-key for stringed musical instruments, said key comprising a shank member having a projecting end portion, said shank member and said end portion being provided with reverse threads, a nut mounted on the shank portion and a lock-nut mounted on the projecting end portion, said lock-nut forming the stringdrum, substantially as shown and described.

3. A string-key for stringed musical instruments, comprising a shank member having a reduced end portion, said shank member and said end portions being provided with reverse threads, a nut mounted on the shank member and a lock-nut mounted on the reduced end portion, said lock-nut forming a drum with which in practice the string is connected, and the opposite end of the shank portion being provided with a handlehead, substan tially as shown and described.

at. A string-key for stringed musical instruments, comprising a shank portion provided at one end with a head, said shank portion being also provided at the opposite end with an extension, and said shank portion and said extension being provided with reverse threads, a sleeve-nut mounted on the shank portion and a string-drum mounted on the extension and constituting a locknut, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 21st day of July, 1905.

ALFRED ADOLPHUS FARLAND.

Witnesses:

WALL M. CONNOR, K. C. LEAHY. 

